Reflection in the Hallway Mirror
by ericastwilight
Summary: A heartless Edward is cursed and chooses to live his life confined in his home. When given the chance to see his love again, he takes it. A modern take on Beauty and the Beast. Strong language


**AN: This was supposed to be my entry for the Once Upon a Time Contest. But when I was putting the finishing touches, I received rather bad news and had to visit a friend in the hospital. I chose to see my friend instead of finishing. I've been wanting to work on something on a happier note so I put this aside until just a few days after the contest deadline. It's cool, sometimes RL doesn't go as planned. **

**This is a modern take on a classic fairtale. I do not own Twilight or its characters.**

**Reflection in the Hallway Mirror**

**~Edward**

In a land far, far way there stood a proud, handsome man – fuck that.

It's time to hit the backspace key, because this is not how this fucking fairytale started. And I'm not some fucking fairy prince, so once upon a time doesn't do shit for me. Before I get to the happily ever after (harder than it looks, people), I should probably start from the beginning.

Wait, I should introduce myself first. My name is Edward Anthony Masen II, and I'm a millionaire. God, this sounds like I'm at a fucking AA meeting. I deal with real estate, mostly flipping houses, buildings, and developing land quickly for bigger profits. I'd managed to always come out ahead, even in the hard times we live in now.

But I used to be ruthless, a fucking prick. That attitude got the job done, on budget and on time. Time had always been a luxury, and I didn't like to waste it.

If someone gave me a hard time, they were dealt with swiftly. Replaced at the drop of a dime, they were all expendable. If a project was delayed even just a bit, I used to make sure the company fucking with me paid for it dearly.

All that has earned me a long list of enemies; disgruntled former employees, bankrupt construction companies and building inspectors. They all have it in for me. At the time I didn't think anything of it, because no one fucked with me.

If you add to that the names of the broken hearts I left in the dust, you'll have the local white pages of my hometown Forks in your hands, that's how long the list was.

In other words, I became just like my father – a heartless asshole. _Karma works in fucked up ways._ Karma came back to bite me in the ass.

It all started on a dark, stormy night in October three years ago. I know, cliché, but what can I say? That's how this fucking nightmare-turned-fairytale started. I had been contemplating which one of the lucky ladies from this hole-in-the-wall bar I should take back to my place, when _she _walked in.

Bella, the most beautiful woman I'd ever met, and I'd wanted her since high school. Why couldn't I have her?

Maybe I should explain how Bella and I met. In high school we were worlds apart, but only on the surface. I was a high school jock with the typical cheerleader girlfriend, and Bella was the beautiful, good girl with the 4.0 grade point average. She also had the typical "good boy" boyfriend, that fuckturd Eric Greyson. She was way out of his league in looks and brains, but he still had her.

At least that was what it looked like to everyone else. She had been my best friend. We had really met accidently in the library. Well, it was more like I got acquainted with a face full of her ass.

I had noticed her before, and we'd only acknowledged each other in debate and our mutual biology class, but we'd never been properly introduced. Bella was trying to grab a book from a high shelf, and she was hanging off a ladder precariously. I was watching her lithe form try to grab a book out of her reach, while her skirt hiked up her slender thighs.

I was worried that she'd fall. So, being the gentlemen that my mother had raised me to be, I walked over to her to offer my assistance. I was perched just underneath her, and I was clearing my throat when she suddenly fell back. Cue her delectable ass in my face for a brief moment before we both fell back on the floor, with her conveniently landing in my lap.

We both looked shocked for a moment and then laughed our asses off. That was how our secretive friendship started. We both knew that it would never amount to anything else, though I wanted it to.

Bella had a boyfriend, and I had a girlfriend; our social standings didn't allow us to become any more than acquaintances. Her father was a blue collar construction foreman, and my father was the billionaire that usually hired him.

That didn't stop us from being really good friends – privately. We'd meet up somewhere to discuss music or a book we'd read. We loved to go to the movies – our respective others hated foreign films.

One night, my father came home early from a business trip when Bella and I had fallen asleep on my living room couch. Nothing had happened, but my father blew it out of portion. He claimed that some small-town girl would trample all over my heart and destroy my future.

He forbade me to see her, but Bella and I continued our friendship. We had to, or else we would've lost ourselves to the mundane expectations of our social classes.

All that came to a crashing halt when my dad bought the loan to her parents' house. At the time, Renee, Bella's mother, got sick, and the house payments were coming in late, and my father foreclosed on the property.

Bella was devastated. Not only had her parents lost the house, but the stress caused Renee to fall to her illness. In the last two months of Bella's senior year, she lost her home, her mother and her scholarships.

And I lost my best friend. Her father Charlie was moving to Phoenix; he was unable to remain in Forks. Out of obligation, Bella decided to follow him.

I still remember the night before she left like it was yesterday.

I made my way to the tree under Bella's window, the damn foreclosure sign on the front lawn taunting me. I climbed up the familiar path to her window and tapped softly on the glass.

I saw her bundled up on her bed with her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her lovely face turned to look at me, and I was met with an emotionless mask. I watched as she slid off her bed and walked her way to the window.

The moonlight through the small window highlighted the smooth expanse of her torso under her sports bra. I swallowed nervously, climbing into her warm room, and I quickly enveloped her in a tight embrace.

She didn't return it.

I pulled back, watching the warmth that her eyes usually held for me fade into a cold, blank stare. "Why are you here?" she asked. Her lips barely moved.

"I had to see you, to say what I haven't been able to say since –"

"You've could've said something to me before. Why wait until I'm almost leaving?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I couldn't, Bella," I said, taking a hold of her face, her beautiful, soft lips just inches from mine.

Bella's eyes narrowed suddenly, her face flushing with anger. "Why? Is it because I no longer have a home? Or is it because now I don't have an Ivy League school to gloat about? Make me understand why you've stayed away all this time, when I needed you most."

I shook my head, because every plausible excuse suddenly seemed so ridiculous. How was I supposed to explain that I loved her? That I wanted to replace Eric? That I was ashamed of what my father had done? That I was the reason for it? That I was expected to follow in his footsteps?

"Tell me," she urged, pulling me closer by taking a fistful of my t-shirt. "Tell me," she pleaded again. She sobbed against my chest for a few brief moments, and then she suddenly pulled away.

"Tell me why? Tell me why your father didn't give my father a chance? Twenty-three years of payments always on time, and he was late on two payments."

"It was part of the agree –"

She cut me off with a harsh whisper. "Spare me the details, Edward. I know all about the clause that was added when your father bought out the loan. I'm asking why my house, the Cheney's house, the Weber's home – why are all these houses suddenly foreclosing?"

"I don't know, Bella. I think he's just investing, but he hasn't told me anything." It was a lie, and we both knew it. He had done this on purpose, to hurt me, to hurt her and in essence hurt any chance of _us._

"Oh, Edward," she said quietly, laying her head on my chest. "I don't want to be where you're not."

"I don't either, you're the most important thing in my life right now," I whispered, peppering her hair with small kisses. I heard her soft sigh and then her arms wrapped around my torso tightly. Her fingers danced along the hem of my t-shirt before searching for bare skin. I bit back a moan as tingles and fire ignited under her fingertips. "Bella."

I'm not sure why I whispered her name so breathlessly, but I did. Bella's response was to press her soft lips to my neck and jaw. My arms tightened around her, and my fingers splayed across her back. I watched her as her eyes sought mine, once again full of the warmth I'd come to know. Her whisper of my name was what became the catalyst for what happened next.

I pressed my lips against hers, tentatively at first, but she responded to me with a soft moan. I took her bottom lip in between my own before she granted me access into her mouth. That kiss was two years of pent up frustration and mixed emotions. I had always feared that if we traveled down this path that I'd lose her.

And I would. After I made love to her, she fell asleep against my chest. I replayed the events and knew what we had done was stupid. She was leaving the next day, and I couldn't do anything about it. The pain would be unbearable. She gave me her innocence, despite the fact we'd likely never see each other again. I didn't deserve her.

I couldn't give her what her heart desired most, her life back. She had my heart, and so with an ache in my chest, I left her bed. I grabbed her notebook and wrote the only two words that would explain how I felt.

_I'm sorry._

Back to that night in October, I hadn't seen Bella since that night in her room, and she never sought me out. I had kept tabs on her over the next ten years. She had tried many times to buy back her parents' home, but she never met the credit requirements.

After my father's death, I had made sure that I retained the loan for her house through each new buyer or tenant. I had to have some kind of connection to her, to that house. I had to have something tangible that would be a constant reminder of what I had gained and lost that night.

So when she walked into the bar, it felt like I had been punched in the chest. Her eyes found mine; the warmth was still there. I didn't deserve it from her. She made her way toward me, and a determined look graced her features.

The women were shooed away with a dismissive wave of my hand by the time she took the bar stool beside me. She looked at me for a moment before she sighed and asked the bartender for a drink.

Bella returned her attention to me and quickly pulled out a folder from a bag she was carrying. "I just got approved, and all I need is your signature," she said, sliding the folder to me.

I ignored the folder and assessed her features. I didn't think it was possible, but she was even more beautiful than ever. Bella's heart-shaped face had lost some of its roundness, and her cheeks were tinged with the same petal pink that matched her lips. My eyes drank in her plump bottom lip that was just a little fuller than the top, giving her the pouty lip look.

Being the asshole that I was, I didn't bother acknowledging her words until I had finished devouring her with my eyes. Her full, round breasts were perfect in a low cut red t-shirt, while her legs looked like they went on for miles, clad in dark skinny jeans. I couldn't help but groan softly when I noticed the fuck-me pumps on her dainty feet.

"Jesus, Edward. What have you done to yourself?" she asked, her voice full of concern. I didn't need that shit, and she knew it. I snorted and looked away, avoiding her gaze. I grabbed the folder sitting in front of me and pretended to look over the papers.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked venomously.

"I need to buy back my home, Edward." Her words were a mere whisper and pleading. If she thought that begging me would help, she was wrong.

Over the years, I had learned to block my emotions. Nothing affected me anymore. Tears did nothing to change my mind. If a father of four children came into my office, begging me to give him one more month to try and catch up on his payments, I considered him pathetic.

"You won't be able to afford it, Bella," I said coolly. I heard her huff beside me and slam her drink down.

"Don't tell me that I can't afford it, Edward. The numbers in that don't lie."

"I don't know what you were hoping to achieve by seeking me out, but it won't change my mind."

"Oh, I don't know. I guess I was hoping I could appeal to the Edward I knew and cared for."

I scoffed and shook my head in distaste. "He's long gone, Bella."

"Don't expect me to feel sorry for you, because I don't. You brought this upon yourself. You could've walked away from him, be what you wanted to be."

I snapped my head back to her, my eyes narrowing in on hers, filled with fire. "Don't sit there being all high and mighty, Bella," I said, slamming the folder closed. "I did what I had to do to survive. I'm where I wanted to be."

Bella shook her head, and a lone tear fell from her eyes. My heart clenched, but I kept myself in check. I had to. If I showed a glimmer of emotion, she'd use it to her advantage. They all did.

"What are you exactly, huh? Are you a broken man that has been feeling sorry for himself, allowing circumstances to dictate his life?" Bella huffed, pulling out a five dollar bill from her jeans pocket and throwing it on the bar. "You know, one day you'll look into a mirror and not like what you see, and you'll only see what's inside you – a monster."

And Bella walked out of my life, again. I watched as she moved toward the door, never looking back.

If I'd known then what I know now, I would've gone running after her. Feeling like I had lost her once again, I had to get out of there.

I made my way to my car a couple of hours later, making sure that I was sober. Standing beside my dark blue BMW was a tiny woman; her hair was caked with mud, her face was dotted with small scars, and her clothes were ragged. She held out a tiny, blistered hand, begging for some money for food, the other wrapped around a decrepit shopping cart.

Disgusted, I looked away from her pleading dark eyes. "No," I said gruffly. She persisted to the point where I had to push her away so that I wouldn't run her ass over.

"Look, lady, I don't have money for you. Get yourself cleaned up, and I'm sure you'd be able to _work _for it."

"You shouldn't judge me only based on what you see," she said, her voice soft. Her eyes widened, and her back straightened up before she pushed herself off my car and rolled her cart and herself away from me.

Just as I was about to slide into my car, the haggard woman tapped my shoulder. Fuck me, couldn't she leave me alone? Ready to bite her head off, I turned and bit back a gasp.

There before me was the same woman, but she looked like she was glowing. Gone were the ragged clothing, replaced with a gold, shimmering dress. The scars that marked her face were replaced with radiant golden skin, and her dark eyes were now golden brown in color. Her once grimy hair was short, and every dark strand was laced with gold.

"You have no love and compassion in your heart, Edward," said the woman, her voice a mere whisper, but it resonated through my body. "You've made so many terrible choices. You should have heeded Bella's words."

Her following words were like a song, somber and filled with sadness.

"Since your outer beauty is only skin deep

No longer is it for you to keep

Only when your inner monster is reigned in

Will your beauty return to your skin

To break the spell

Only true love will tell

When love is lit anew

And it is returned to you

As it was always meant to be

Will you truly see."

When her last words were spoken, my eyes filled with darkness, and I lost consciousness.

I awoke the next morning, confused and completely dazed. Bit and pieces of the previous night replayed in my head, only serving to make my headache worse. I groggily got out of bed and went about like it was any other Wednesday.

I tried to forget what had happened last night with Bella. It would be better for me to forget. My father had hurt her, and now it seemed that I was doing the same by denying her wish. I was selfish. I wanted the house to remain tied to me. I also didn't think that I could handle Bella moving back so close to where I was.

At the time, I was living in a lavish Seattle apartment, close to the action without compromising privacy. If I had allowed Bella to buy her parents' home, I wouldn't be able to resist going to see her. For her own safety and sanity, she needed to stay as far away from me as possible.

Preparing myself for another day at the office, I grabbed my briefcase and passed the hallway mirror on the way out. From the corner of my eye, I caught my reflection in the mirror, and I dropped my briefcase in my horror.

I turned slowly to make sure that what I was seeing was real. My skin was pale and pasty with dark purple bruises under my eyes. My eyes were no longer the emerald green I had inherited from my dead mother, they were coal black. My hair had turned to a dull mousy brown and looked stringy and unhealthy instead of the unusual disarray of coppery brown and bronze. Though I had just shaved, hair covered my entire jaw, chin and under my nose, thick and coarse. I touched my cheek, noticing unsightly scars peppering across my pale skin.

What the hell?

I quickly ran to the bathroom and splashed my face with cool water. I was seeing things. That hadn't been my reflection in the hallway mirror, it couldn't have been. I ran the razor again over my face, the mirror over the sink taunting me, daring me to look again.

I looked up and though the hair was gone from my face, the scars were not. I gasped as I saw the hair come back – in seconds.

_Since your outer beauty is only skin deep, no longer is it for you to keep…_

The woman's words rang clear in my head, my transformation was complete. Not only was I a monster inside, but now I was one on the outside. I was hideous, something most would run from. I'd been cursed, cursed to walk this earth for what I really was.

If Bella could see me now, she'd laugh and ridicule me. She'd think I deserved it.

My cell phone rang in my pocket, and I pulled it out and answered. "Mr. Masen," Jessica said timidly. She was my office assistant, and she was scared shitless of me. Just the way I liked it.

"What?" I said coldly.

"Ms. Swan is waiting for you at the office, and she refuses to leave until you get here."

I sighed, because I really didn't need this shit. I had no intention of leaving the confines of my home looking like I did.

"Tell her that my decision is final and that if she doesn't leave, you'll have security escort her out."

"But – I – Fine, I'll do that, sir."

"One more thing, I won't be coming into the office for the rest of the week. Send all my calls to my home, because I'll be working from here."

"Yes, sir."

I hung up without a second thought, and I slumped into my bed, allowing myself to slip into an uneasy slumber.

There was knocking on the front door that quickly escalated to persistent pounding. I stomped toward my living room and looked out the peep hole, where a very irate Bella stood.

"I know you're in there, Edward!" she screamed.

I was not about to open the door; she couldn't see like this.

"Please, Edward. I just lost Charlie, and all I want is my childhood home." I heard her voice from the other side of the door. I looked again and saw her lay her head on the door, wiping away tears. My heart clenched as I saw the defeat on her face. "Please."

I grabbed my briefcase and found the folder that she had given me the previous night. I signed them and shoved the entire folder under the door. I heard her sob and rifle through the papers. "Thank you," she whispered. I looked through the tiny hole in my door and saw her smile sadly. "I knew you had it in you."

Then she was gone.

I looked up into the hallway mirror, and I saw my dark eyes shimmer to green. It was brief, and I wasn't sure that I'd even seen it. I roared and smashed the mirror with my briefcase. I refused to see myself any longer.

For two years after that night, I wallowed and become more beast than man. I refused company and worked from home. Apartment living was no longer an option, so I moved back to my family home in Forks.

I think that subconsciously, I moved there just to be closer to Bella and to my mother.

Every mirror was taken down, including all reflective surfaces. All the pictures that my mother had of me were stored away in the attic. I couldn't bear to look at them.

My mother had been so beautiful, attentive and loving. She had loved my father and me fiercely and showed us how much every day. When we had suddenly lost her to cancer, I'd not only lost my mother, but I'd lost my father as well.

His mourning had been brief, but his bitterness behind the whole ordeal had remained. He had allowed it to morph into hate and spitefulness. Oh, I know that he had been in pain when he raised me. I had heard him from time to time talking to my mother as though she would answer. She never had and that had seemed to make him all the more bitter.

Living in my family home was like a double edged sword. On the one side, there were wonderful memories of my mother, of my father before she'd died and of Bella. On the other side, there were the painful words my father had ingrained in my memory whenever I had shown any form of weakness.

He'd felt that love was a weakness. My friendship and love for Bella had been considered a weakness.

I'd been stupid enough to believe him.

There was a knock on my door, a package from the office. With a heavy hooded jacket and sunglasses, I answered. The deliveryman fidgeted uncomfortably, instinctually frightened by my mere presence. I knew that he couldn't see me though my curse made me a monster, my hearing and sense of smell had increased, among other things.

I could smell the fear as he timidly handed me the package after taking the clipboard with my signature from me. He dropped it, and I growled under my breath, unable to look upon him any longer. "Leave," I snarled. He didn't have to think twice about it, and he gone before I closed the front door.

I tore open the package and stalked toward my office. Lauren, my new assistant, had bubble gum pink sticky notes all over the forms.

She was so fucking fired.

I had gone through more assistants in the past two years than I'd had in last ten combined. Though I never visited the office, I was always on the phone barking out orders or reprimanding them for some stupid shit they had done.

Bubble gum pink sticky notes was the last straw for Lauren.

I called the office, quickly relaying that I'd received the paperwork and had Rosalie, my HR Manager, fire Lauren.

"Damn it, Edward. There's no one willing to work for you anymore. You've gone through the entire roster from the temp agency."

I rolled my eyes privately, looking through the forms I had received earlier, when_ her_ name came across my desk.

Bella was asking for a three-month deferment on her house payments while she tried to find another job. The bookstore she had been working for had gone bankrupt and could no longer keep her on the payroll.

Though Bella's payments had been all on time, they all fell on the due date, just on time. She never paid more than the exact dollar amount and always made the payment at the bank to avoid being late.

Bella had submitted bank statements and tax information for the last two years. Those statements told me that she was barely scraping by.

"I may have someone that can help."

"What? Who?" Rosalie asked.

"Let me take care of it, and I'll send her to you soon."

I hung up, not waiting for her reply. I looked up Bella's number, and before I could chicken out I dialed her house.

"Hello?" Her voice caused my heart to flutter and my mind to briefly go blank.

"Bella," I said, unable to say more.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again. "Edward, oh, no."

She was worried about why I was calling. I heard her sob, and the sound made my chest ache. "I'm calling about your loan."

"Just do it," she spat. "Just rip my heart out, you've done it before."

"I –" I stuttered. "I called so that we can make some arrangements to help us both out."

"What?"

I cleared my throat. "I think we can come up with a beneficial agreement that will allow you to keep your home and earn money."

"What's the catch?"

"You'll be working for me in my home – _for me_."

I heard her gasp and breathe heavily into the phone. "What kind of woman do you think I am, Edward?" she screamed.

Um, I guessed it could be misunderstood as something sinister, especially coming from me. "I didn't mean anything like that. Look, can you just come and see me, and we'll discuss it?"

I heard her sigh, and she remained silent for a few moments. "Fine, I'll come see you."

"I'm living in my old house," I said.

"I'll come by tomorrow morning at nine."

"Perfect."

The rest of the day was rather boring, and I had to stop myself several times from calling Bella back to cancel.

This was my chance, and I had to take it. I wasn't sure what I was hoping for, maybe a way to make up for what my family had done to hers. Or maybe I just wanted some form of human interaction that wasn't over a phone.

I cleaned up as best as I could. Most of the furniture was tattered from my excessive bouts of rage where I just tossed everything around.

Unable to sleep, another side effect of the curse, I picked out a room on the first floor, a room I hoped Bella would stay in over the next year.

The doorbell rang at exactly nine in the morning. Using an intercom system, I asked for her to come in.

Immersed in shadows in the corner of my office, I waited until Bella timidly walked in. I motioned for her to take a seat in the chair furthest from me. She stood there, somewhat defiant of my command, appearing to be at war with herself. After a few moments of deep breaths and clenched fists, she sat down and refused to look in my direction.

"How are you, Isabella?" I asked, actually curious to how she was feeling. Though she appeared a bit angry, I had no idea why.

"Please, Edward," she said firmly, my name rolling off her tongue in a hiss. "Just tell me what I need to do to keep my home."

I sighed and pretended to look over paperwork from my chair, aware of her eyes on me.

"I'm aware that you currently have a couple of friends living in the house with you. Is that correct?"

Bella sighed, and her hands begun to fidget. "Yes, Ben and Angela Cheney need to save money for their house, but they can't afford the whole house payment."

I nodded in agreement and acknowledgement. "I have an offer that will allow you to keep your home, but it will also allow you to earn money and begin repairs in your home."

"How – how did you know that the house needs work?"

I wasn't about to tell her that I'd passed it every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. "You've had several debit transactions for paint, putty and roofing materials."

Bella nodded and said, "Yes, the house does require some TLC."

"Here's my proposition. Hear me out completely before expressing your concerns."

Bella bristled for a moment, trying to reign in her emotions, but nodded, albeit reluctantly.

I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. "I'm in need of a personal assistant. Your duties would include maintaining my home, cooking meals, running errands and office work. Your pay would be ten times the amount you earned while working at the book store. I would require a set amount deducted weekly to cover the remaining balance of your mortgage. Also, we can set up to deduct a monthly amount to cover repairs to your home."

I stopped, waiting for the question I had no doubt she would ask. Her eyes danced for a moment, narrowing in on me. I was sure she was unable to see me; if she could see what I really looked like, she would have ran away screaming already. Comprehension seemed to don on her face as she drew her conclusion.

"What's the catch, Edward?"

I smiled, happy to have finally read her so perfectly. "You'd be living here, with me. You'd have free room and board, of course. Also, after the first year, if you are back up on your feet I'd happily write a letter of recommendation."

Bella bit her lip nervously, her hands tugging on non-existent lint from her sweater. "Um, can I think about it and call you to let you know?"

I sighed and nodded. "Don't take too long, Princess." I called her what I'd used to call her so long ago.

Bella held back a laugh with her small hand and shook her head. "I have one question, Edward?"

"Yes," I said.

"Why are you hiding here? I asked around, and you haven't left your home or visited your office in years."

I growled under my breath, and her eyes widened in fear. "_That_, Bella, is none of your concern."

Her eyes narrowed. "Fine, I'll be off then." She stood up, swinging her bag over her shoulder and quickly making her way toward the door.

"I hope to hear from you again, Bella."

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "And if you don't?"

"I have no doubt that I will. If you deny my simple request and I foreclose on your home –"

Bella growled, her eyes filled with fire. She tensed opening her mouth before clenching it shut. She spun on her heels and slammed the door closed.

All in all, I thought that had gone rather well.

Bella called me two hours later, accepting my offer. I decided to clean up as much of the mess I had created as possible on my own. All furniture and frames that were not easily fixable were destroyed in a bonfire behind my home.

Before the night was through, I held in my hand the gold-leafed frame my mother had made for the mirror where I'd first seen the monster I had become.

I carefully started to remove the broken shards and paused when I caught my reflection. My eyes were not coal black like I had grown accustomed to, but a muddy green. I shook my head and closed my eyes, because I refused to believe that I was even remotely human.

I opened my eyes, expecting to find that I was right. My eyes fixated on the last remaining mirror fragment that reflected my eyes. My eyebrows with thick and busy, clearly in need of grooming, my lashes were long and thick and they framed – dirty green eyes.

Refusing to believe that the sudden change meant anything, I threw away the remaining shard, the last remnant of reflective surfaces in my home.

Bella called less than two hours after her departure. She had agreed.

Three days later and she was here. I left her strict written instructions for her to pick a bedroom on the second floor, to tidy up the office downstairs, and for her to get acquainted with my home. The only restriction I placed upon her was that she was not allowed onto the third floor, where my private rooms lay.

But my restrictions piqued her curiosity. I heard her ascend the stairs leading to my floor, shortly after moving the last of her boxes.

Frustrated that she had already broken the _only_ rule I'd given her, I met her on the third floor landing. I growled menacingly, causing her to take an unmeasured step back. I moved quickly and caught her by her hand just before she fell down the stairs.

In that time, many things happened at once. In my haste to catch her, the hood of my jacket fell off, Bella's eyes widened in what I could only see as fear, and a powerful surge of all-encompassing warmth emanated from our hands.

Bella gasped and pulled her hand quickly; her gaze remained on my face, but she remained quiet.

I flung my hood back on and snarled, "Make yourself useful and bring me some lunch."

"I… What would you like?" she asked breathlessly.

"It doesn't matter as long as it's edible, Bella. Leave it at the foot of the stairs, and _don't_ come back up here again."

I left her there before stalking back to the confines of my room. I slammed the door shut and roared, bitter that she had seen my hideous face.

I stomped over to my piano and banged out another song filled with longing, regret and loss.

Twice Bella came to the foot of the stairs, leaving my meals. Twice she whispered my name.

Then late at night after I heard Bella stumble into her room, I heard her whisper a goodnight.

_I think she knew that I could hear her._

I desperately wanted to reach for her, but just as before when we'd been children, she was still unreachable to me.

For four weeks, that was how our day was spent. I spent my day upstairs, barking out orders through the phone, intercom or even by email. She spent it downstairs doing whatever menial task I set upon her.

Not once did she respond to my commands with anger, but I could tell from her curt answers that she was close to a breaking point.

One day I received a call from the stable hand that usually cared for my horses, saying that he was unable to come in. So I set Bella to clean the stalls, feed the horses and groom them.

She stormed off, cursing with every step she took. Amused with her antics I followed behind her, careful to keep my distance.

I watched as she struggled with degrading tasks. I had expected her to tell me to fuck off and had only suggested this task because of it. Though I was disappointed that things hadn't gone as planned, I remained watching from across Jezebel's stable.

"I have no idea why he needs my help," Bella mumbled to my horse as she groomed the graceful curve of Jezebel's back. "He should have a staff to cater to his every whim, not some lonely girl that he no longer cares for."

Jezebel neighed in what appeared to be agreement. "He's a stubborn mule, no – a jackass." Bella chuckled. I smiled to myself, happy to hear that lovely sound again. She suddenly screamed, bumping into Jezebel. My horse reared up in fear, causing Bella to cower just as the hooves were about to descend on her. I was across the room before Jezebel came down on Bella, taking the blows to my right shoulder and forearm.

Bella screamed but quickly contained it, hoping not to spook Jezebel further. My horse sprinted in fear into the yard toward the forest.

I hissed and groaned in pain as the metallic smell of blood filled my nostrils. I fell among the fresh hay, clutching my arm.

"Edward, oh God. Are you alright?" Bella asked as she hovered over me, her face mere inches from my own.

I hissed again when she took a hold of my arm, checking the extent of my injuries. "Why – ugh. Why did you scream?"

"Snake," she whispered, her cheeks flushing pink. "I'm sorry."

I sighed and sat up, trying to bite back the moan threatening to spill from my lips. "It's fine, Bella. I'm just glad you're alright."

She nodded and ran toward the first aid kit secured in a cabinet against the west wall. She returned and started to clean out the wound made by the hoof.

"Will Jezebel be okay?"

I nodded. "She will. She's trained to return after a few hours. If not, I'll have Jacob and the rest of the stable hands go find her tomorrow."

Bella nodded and continued to work in silence. The gash was mostly superficial, but I was sure that there would be bruising tomorrow. I welcomed her touch and wondered why she was not disgusted with the mere sight of me.

After she finished, I helped her clean up, and we both walked back toward the house in silence. Once we reached the outdoor patio that led to the kitchen, Bella headed to her office and I headed up the stairs.

"Thank you, Edward."

"For what?" I asked, stopping at the foot of the stairs.

"For saving my life," she responded.

"Anytime, Princess, but let's not do that again," I said stiffly, but it quickly turned to a chuckle.

Bella giggled and nodded. "I'll do my best, Eddiepoo."

I tensed and glared at her, which only served to widen her smile. "All is fair in love and war and in this case, nicknames." She winked and walked into the kitchen, leaving me speechless.

It was almost seven in the evening, and Bella had not brought dinner. I'd heard her in the kitchen for the last hour and in the dining room, but still she never came up. Frustrated that I had no idea what was going on downstairs, I decided to investigate.

I found Bella sitting in the dining room, eating her dinner, my plate laid down across from her.

A smug smile graced her face as I contemplated on just skipping dinner.

"Dinner will always be served here. If you choose not join me, then you'll have to wait until breakfast."

I growled and hastily pulled out my chair. I glared at her, and I noticed something I hadn't seen in a long time – joy.

Joy that she having at my misery.

I sniffed, taking in the wonderful smell of Bella's lasagna. Mmm, she was a great cook. I eyed my serving and my silverware. Hmm…I hadn't used silverware in a long time. I grabbed my fork, wrapping my hand around the stem. I cut off an adequate bite-size piece and shoved it in my mouth.

So good.

I heard the distinct sound of Bella's fork clanking against her plate. I looked up with a mouth full of food. "What's wrong?"

Bella's mouth was agape, her eyes were the size of saucers and she looked mildly revolted. I asked again, "What's wrong?"

"If you keep eating that way, I must insist that you wear a bib," she quipped.

I glared at her, but I shrugged my shoulders and shoved another bite of food in my mouth. I took another slice from the baking dinner in the center of the table and quickly devoured that, too.

In silence Bella got up from her chair and stood beside me. She took my unused napkin, unfolded it and stuffed a corner of it in my shirt.

I frowned up at her. "I'm not a child."

"Then don't act like one," she chided.

I grumbled curses under my breath as she took her seat and pointedly ignored my horrendous table manners.

Another week passed much in the same manner as before, only this time we spent our dinners together. For the first few days, we ate in silence. But on the third attempt at having dinner together, Bella asked if she could restore the library to its former glory.

Shortly after my mother's death, my father, had every book in her favorite room of the house packed away, and the room had remained untouched since.

It was a task she asked me to help with. Realizing that I wanted to spend more time with her, I agreed. So more weeks passed, and in that time, we discussed some of the books we were cataloging, and I scoffed at her taste in more of the modern adult books.

"Are you telling me that you read cheesy romance novels?"

"No!"

"Then tell me, Princess, what have you been reading for the last ten years?"

"Hmm, that's hard to say. I've read so many since, well you know, but I reread the usual –"

"Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Romeo and Juliet," I said, watching her.

She blushed and nodded, pleased that I had remembered.

We spent the rest of that day reading. Well, she read to me. It was so soothing to hear her voice reading with such passion.

While she went to make dinner, I tried to come up with something else we could do together. The library was done, and I feared that we'd go back to the mundane existence we'd had when she'd first come.

Then I remembered that she liked to watch movies. I quickly descended the stairs and went to the basement. I turned on all the lights and was greeted with smell of worn leather. I smiled and looked around the room.

This was one room I had improved upon since my return here. It was my home entertainment room, one of my favorite rooms beside the library.

I had actual movie theatre sitting, a state-of-the-art sound and DVD systems. I strode over the bar along the left wall and turned on the popcorn machine. After adding the kernels and oil, I picked out a movie.

Just as the popcorn started popping, I heard Bella call from upstairs.

"Bring dinner down to the basement," I called out.

A few minutes later, Bella was balancing two plates, two sets of silverware, napkins and our drinks.

"Wow, this is a great room. What are we going to watch?"

I grinned, though she couldn't see it from under my hood, and shook my head. "It's a surprise. You'll see, it's a classic."

"You know that I hate surprises."

I laughed and tried to contain it while she glared at me fiercely. "I see that hasn't changed," I teased, causing Bella to roll her eyes at me.

"Laugh it up, Edward. Next time make your own dinner," she snapped playfully. She placed our dinner plates on the bar, while I helped her with the other items. Once our chicken parmesan dinner was safe, I clasped a hand on either side of her body on the bar, trapping her against me. I leaned in, inhaling slightly; she always smelled so good. Like warmth, sweet and feminine.

"No dinner, no pay, Princess," I whispered in her ear

Bella's breathing became erratic, and she softly moaned as my breath wafted against the soft skin of her ear and neck. The sound did things to me, things that no monster should ever feel.

She released a long held breath, composed herself and bumped her ass against my hip. "It'd be worth it, just to piss you off."

I growled, rocking my hips gently against her backside. "Be careful, Princess. I don't think you can handle me pissed."

"Ah, but it'd be an improvement over Emoward," she teased, ducking under my arm and taking a seat on a bar stool. "Come on, before dinner gets cold."

I grunted as I pushed off the bar and sat down beside her. "When did you get so bossy?"

Bella laughed, bringing another smile on my face. "Eat, drink, and then watch a movie." And then she put another bib on me. She was becoming more of a nuisance than help. But I rather enjoyed the attention.

I nodded and started to eat, occasionally watching Bella under the protection of my hood and dark glasses. She would steal glances, no doubt wondering if I still looked as hideous as the day she first came here.

After dinner I led her to the front row of leather seats and started the movie. I took the seat beside Bella, surprised when she raised the armrest between us and settled against my side. The movie credits started, and the room darkened as the giant screen displayed a spacious night sky, followed by the words 'Episode IV'. The familiar theme music started, causing Bella to laugh.

In her best deep voice, she read the words. "In a galaxy far, far away…

"Really, Edward. Star Wars?"

"What's wrong with Star Wars?"

"You said we'd be watching a classic," she retorted.

"Princess, Star Wars _is_ a classic." I handed her a bag of popcorn.

She popped a few pieces in her mouth while nodding. "I think you're right, Edward." She smiled and watched with earnest.

Though I loved the movie, I couldn't concentrate on what we were watching. I watched Bella, amused by her reaction to what she saw on screen, despite the fact she had watched it so many times. I watched the light from the screen dance across her expressive brown eyes, feeling warmth consume my body, mind and – soul.

Bella insisted on putting on the next episode, though I knew she was tired. Shortly after starting the movie, she fell asleep. Her head lolled to the side and came to rest on my shoulder. I sighed and shifted my arm across her shoulder, causing Bella to snuggle against my chest.

She felt so warm and pleasant so close to me that I couldn't stop myself from running my fingers through her silky brown hair. Bella sighed in her sleep, and my name left her lips in a whisper.

After my name left her lips again and her nose burrowed against my chest, I knew I wasn't dreaming.

Bella was dreaming of me.

I tensed beneath her as an all-encompassing feeling washed and rolled over me – love. It was an emotion I'd thought I was incapable of ever feeling again, more so after my transformation by the witch. The feeling lingered and remained as the night passed while Bella slept in my arms.

She was still sleeping when I carried her upstairs before dawn. I placed her in her bed and tucked her in after removing her shoes and socks. As I walked over to the door, I saw my mother's mirror over a small vanity. The mirrored surface had been replaced. Unable to look upon myself, my eyes fell on a framed picture on Bella's nightstand.

It was a picture of the both of us from our high school days. Bella was lying against my chest and I had my arms wrapped around her from behind, while we looked up at the camera I held up. We both looked so happy back then. I realized that no matter how much I loved her, it could never be.

For how could she love – a monster.

I shook all delusions of a future that could never happen and stalked out of the room. From the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I caught the reflection of bronze hair, but I refused to look. I didn't want to get my hopes up.

Though I loved Bella, I knew that when she left after her obligation to me was fulfilled, it would kill me. I just couldn't give up my time with her, because I needed and craved her presence.

I stumbled into my bedroom, discarding my jacket and glasses and falling on my bed. Sleep called to me for the first time in two years. I welcomed the darkness as it set under my eyes, hoping I'd dream of the woman I loved.

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but something stirred me from my slumber. Footsteps.

I fumbled and threw off my blankets, trying to get to my jacket and glasses I'd left strewn across the room.

"Edward, you never came to get your breakfast or lunch, are you alright?" Bella asked from the hallway just outside my opened door. I quickly grabbed my jacket and managed to get one sleeve on before my bedroom door opened. "Edward."

I heard her gasp. I turned to face her, and her eyes widened, her tiny hand covering her mouth. Her breathing became heavy, and her eyes roamed over my scarred body before she met my eyes.

"Haven't you gotten enough of an eyeful of the monster you see before you, Princess?" I growled perceptively, causing her eyes to widen further.

She shook her head and looked confused for a moment.

"I told you NOT to come in here!" I roared. "Can't you follow the one rule I gave you!"

Bella's eyes looked defiant, but tears had started to form. "I'm sor –"

"Spare me your pathetic apologizes. Now leave!" I roared again.

She screamed and ran out the door, stumbling on air in her haste. "You got what you wanted. Now you know the reason for my hiding, go. Tell everyone, I'm sure they'd love to hear a good horror story."

"I don't under –"

I stopped her again. "Leave, I never want to see you again."

It was better this way. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing the fear in her eyes every day. My love for her wasn't enough to keep her here with me.

Tears fell from her eyes, and she quickly descended the stairs. I fell to my knees and roared; the framed art on the walls trembled in their places.

I heard the front door slam closed and Bella's hurried footsteps on the gravel. I watched from my room as she slid into her decrepit truck, tears falling from her eyes relentlessly.

Shit, she shouldn't be driving in that condition. I hurried downstairs and realized that the truck refused to turn on. I heard her truck door slam closed and Bella walk away from my house, down the driveway.

Unsure of what to do, I battled with my own demons. I had to ensure her safe return. It was the least I could do.

I followed her down the mile-long driveway, wanting desperately to help her every time she stumbled. She kept looking over her shoulder toward my house, likely sensing that I was close. Instinct was telling her to move along faster, as her pace quickened.

In her haste, she continued to stumble, and then she finally fell on her hands and knees skinning her left knee. She grumbled under her breath, cursing me to oblivion, unaware that I was listening.

I growled, unable to contain it as she dusted herself off. She turned toward the sound of my growl, but I remained hidden in the trees that lined my driveway.

Bella's breath became labored, and she started to run.

Damn it. I'd scared her again.

I ran after her, staying a few steps behind. She looked over her shoulder in my direction, not realizing that she was coming to the highway.

She was also unaware that she was about to get hit by a car. I moved swiftly and pushed Bella out of the way, pushing her toward the shoulder of the road. The car swerved to the side, but it was too late. I felt the impact of the passenger side against my hip. My head bounced off the pavement, and darkness started to linger around the edges of my vision. I looked over at Bella who was staring at me in horror.

She scrambled toward me, crying and sobbing. "Edward… Oh God, Edward!" Her hands were at my chest, and she started to fuss over me. "Don't move. Help is coming." Little rivers of tears cascaded down her pale cheek.

My hand caressed her cheek, wiping tears away. Bella closed her eyes and leaned into my palm, kissing it lightly. "Don't cry, Princess."

"Oh God, you saved me again," she cried out. "Why? Why risk yourself?"

"For the same reason I kissed you so long ago," I whispered, my voice hoarse. I gasped as warmth passed through me instead of pain.

"Why did you, Edward?" she asked, her lips pressing against my forehead and then my cheek.

My eyes closed, becoming heavy. I fought against them and found her beautiful brown eyes. "Because I love you, Bella," I said.

My eyes lost the battle against the pressing darkness and warmth. Funny, I'd thought death would be much more painful.

I felt Bella's hands pounding against my chest and heard her desperate cry. "Don't leave me. Please, Edward. Wake up!" I felt her soft lips pressing against my lips, and her voice turned to a whisper. "I love you."

The words were like a light that sparked through me. I gasped for breath, and tingles filled every bone in my body. I looked up at Bella, who was lying on my chest, sobbing.

"You love me," I whispered, looking upon her tear-filled eyes. "How – how can you love someone who looks like me?" She shook her head and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I'm hideous, Bella."

"Oh, Edward, you've been handsome and so beautiful since the first moment I saw you," she said, her breath coming in soft pants. "You've grown more handsome every day. You no longer look angry all the time. When you smile it lights up the room, and you no longer have a permanent scowl on your face."

I shook my head and tried to get up. I was stiff and sore, but I felt no broken bones. Bella tried to stop me, but I stood up. Once I realized that there were people in the car, I panicked. I refused to become the town freak.

I turned to Bella, who was assessing my injuries and finding none.

"Take care of this. Offer to buy the driver a new car, anything to avoid attention," I said, pleading to her. She bit her lip and nodded.

I ran back to the sanctuary of my home. I prayed that Bella would soon follow.

I paced in my study for what felt like hours, when I finally heard Bella come in the house. Instead of coming to me, she retreated to her room.

I had to see her. She'd said she loved me, but has she meant it? I knocked on her bedroom door and entered after her whispered invitation.

"Bella," I whispered, making my way to her bed.

"Did you mean it, Edward?"

I sighed and took her small, warm hand in my own. "Yes."

She didn't say anything, and her eyes remained on her lap. After a few minutes of unbearable silence, I had to ask.

"Did you?"

Her head snapped up, and she looked into my eyes. "Yes."

I shook my head in disbelief, and from the corner of my eye I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror that had once graced my hallway.

I looked…worthy of Bella's affection. My hair was the same color it had been since my childhood days; my skin was still rather pale but smooth. The scars that had marred my flesh were no longer there. My eyes had returned to the vibrant green they once held.

I had nothing more than a five o'clock shadow of scruff along my jaw line.

"All this time… I've looked like this all this time?"

She nodded, biting her lip nervously. "Yes, you've always looked beautiful," she said teasingly.

I laughed and shook my head. I explained to Bella what had happened to me that stormy night over two years ago. She listened to every word and cried at how lonely I must have felt. She cradled my head against her chest and whispered her love as I told her my story.

The curse went through my mind, and I understood. I had never actually looked like the monster I was. I'd just seen, in the mirror, the reflection of the monster I had become. Over time, with Bella's guidance and love, I finally could see what I could be.

I took Bella's face in my hands and whispered against her lips. "I love you, Princess."

She laughed and whispered, "I love you, Eddiepoo."

I growled softly and pressed my lips against hers firmly. The warmth that I always felt from her touch started from our lips and sparked throughout my body. I took her bottom lip in mine and sucked on it lightly, causing her to moan.

The sound went straight to my erection, and I twitched. Wanting to remain a gentleman, I pulled away and made to get up. Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her lips against mine fiercely.

Her tongue swept across my bottom lip, teasing and asking for access. I groaned as I allowed her tongue to slip through my parted lips. She tasted so sweet, sweeter than before. Unable to hold back another moan as her little hands tugged on my hair, I lay over her body.

I pulled away, breathless, and laid my forehead against hers. "You're making it hard to remain a gentleman, my sweet Bella." I kissed along her gentle jaw line and down her lovely neck.

Bella grinned mischievously and laughed. "Maybe I don't want you to be a gentleman. Maybe I want the beast from within. You do have a lot of time to make up for."

I smiled against her skin. "Hmm, and just how much time are you implying?"

"Oh, about ten years," Bella said seriously.

"Well, by all means, let's get started." I ground my hips against hers causing her to gasp and let out a small moan.

"Yes, please," she said breathlessly. "Now kiss me."

"You're bossy," I teased, my hands tugging at the hem of her shirt.

"Ah, I learned from the best," she quipped. She yelped as I softly bit into her neck.

I growled and ground against her again, pulling her t-shirt over her head. I gasped as my eyes met her naked chest. I leaned down and took a pebbled peak into my mouth. Bella moaned and arched her back, getting as close as possible.

Her hands ran down my naked back and delved under my gym pants. I moaned, bucking my hips against her as her nails dug into my flesh. She was a feisty little thing.

In mere moments, all our clothes were hastily removed, and we tumbled onto the center of her bed.

"Shit, I don't have any condoms," I said, while Bella's mouth ran across my nipple. My hand held her head there for a moment, enjoying the sensations of her teeth grazing my sensitive skin.

I moaned as she gently bit me and continued exploring with her warm tongue. "I'm on the pill."

"Oh, fuck. Bareback." I groaned, unable to contain it. Bella giggled before licking the V of my hips. "God, Bella. That feels so good."

She hummed against my moist skin, causing me to cry out and buck my hips upward. Bella laughed again before taking me in her mouth.

"Oh, shit. Fuck," I mumbled, writhing beneath her ministrations.

Bella continued, thankfully, swirling her tongue over the engorged head of my cock. My eyes rolled in my head, and I shuddered with the barely restrained need to thrust further into her mouth. She grinned around me and deep throated me, grazing her teeth occasionally.

I groaned a few minutes later, filling her mouth. I fell back against the pillows as she crawled up my body. She kissed my neck and continued upward until she met the corner of my mouth.

I growled and quickly flipped her on her back. "It's my turn." I kissed her lips passionately and then proceed to explore her tight little body. My hands roamed over her curves and caressed every soft inch. Bella moaned and desperately sought out my erection that bucked against her thigh. Her hands wrapped around me as I sucked on her nipples.

I groaned at the feel of her warm hands. "Edward, I need you, please. We'll have time for slow and loving later."

I laughed, causing her to slap my chest. "What the hurry?"

"If you must know, I haven't had sex in over two years."

"Oh really? Well, that's something we have in common, Princess." I sighed and took her nipple back into my mouth.

"Edward," she whined, squeezing me harder.

Fuck.

I moved her hand from my cock and thrust inside her. I held still for both of our benefits, one for her to grow accustomed to my size and two, for me not to come like a pubescent boy.

Bella moved her hips slightly, causing us both to moan. "So tight, Bella."

"But it feels so right, Edward." She gasped as I pulled out and then slammed back in.

"So right," I said, repeating her words. We were two pieces of a puzzle that never fit with anyone else but one another.

We were always meant to be.

Nothing would stand in our way of our future.

Not the monster caged within me.

Not the doubt and self-loathing I had always dwelled on.

No, as long as Bella stood by me, I'd do all I could to show her how much I loved her.

We continued to move in synch, thrust for thrust, moan for moan, and we whispered words of love.

Bella begged for more, and I groaned, feeling my impending climax, but shrugged it off, wanting to bring her release. I hitched one of her long legs over my shoulder, changing the angle and depth. We both grunted and moaned as I reached and hit the sweet spot in her body.

With every thrust she cried out my name until she tightened around me, her body trembling against me. Her body flushed from her orgasm as I continued to thrust until she came again, pulling me over the edge.

I whispered her name as I filled her and collapsed against her slick body. We both remained still, catching our breaths.

Bella's fingers ran through my hair lovingly.

This wonderful woman loved me just as much as I loved her. As if she could read my mind, we both said in unison, "I love you."

We laughed and turned to our sides, caressing each other until I recovered. I slipped inside her again with her leg raised over my hip. This time we took it slow, savoring each moment.

It was the first night that I didn't sleep because of my insomnia. No, that night I didn't sleep because I had a lot to make up for, and I wanted her to understand the scope of my love for her. She was exhausted before dawn filtered through her window.

So that's my nightmare turned fairytale. There were no ferocious dragons or knights, but there was an undying love, and a happily ever after. I asked Bella to marry me three days later –she accepted.

Now, as I sit here typing away, she's downstairs greeting guests for a dinner engagement party that her best friend insisted upon.

Though the beast was dormant within me, there were times when Bella's stubbornness rattled its cage.

I love her, and that's what matters. For some strange reason, she loves me, too.

****

I typed the last line of my short story. _They lived happily ever after._

I heard her footsteps down the hall. I felt her presence in my office behind me as she walked closer. Her hands caressed my neck and then my shoulders as she looked at the computer screen.

"So how did it go?" she asked, whispering in my ear.

I shrugged my shoulders just as I typed the last period. "I don't know, but it felt good to tell my story, even though no one is going to read it," I said firmly, turning to face her. I saved the document and turned off the computer monitor. "That includes you."

Bella pouted, causing her bottom lip to tremble lightly. I rolled my eyes at her attempt and took her in my arms. "Ready to tell your friends that you're marrying me?"

Bella nodded and smiled. "Come on. I want you to meet my best friend."

I laughed at her enthusiasm and swept her off her feet. "Then by all means, Princess, let's greet our guests."

Bella giggled and nodded. I descended the stairs, laughing the whole way down. There were several familiar faces from school there waiting for us. Bella had said that her best friend was new to the area, moving here about three years ago.

Bella greeted her friends and tugged me toward her friend who was standing beside the fireplace in the living room. "Alice, there you are," Bella said brightly.

"Edward, this is Alice. Alice, meet Edward." Bella's friend turned toward me, her face lit from the fire, her skin appearing to glow.

My eyes widened as I recognized her pixie-like features. With her short dark hair, though it no longer shone with gold, it was unmistakably the witch that had cursed me. Her smile widened when comprehension came over my face.

"Edward," she said, grinning smugly.

I glared at her. "Evil pixie."

**AN: Hehehe yeah, that has to be awkward. Thanks to lisa89 for your help and encouragement. Thanks to starlightsuccubus for your help late at night and the bitchin title.**

**Please review.**

**Also check out my new story Edward Cullen: Purse Snatcher...the response to it has been amazing.**

**erica**


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